Imagine being taken from your family as a child, placed in an overcrowded institution, and forgotten, not because you were dangerous, but simply because you were different. This is the reality thousands of disabled Hoosiers lived, and it is a history Indiana is fully reckoning with. In remembrance of our history, we can’t help but be grateful for the revolutionary changes made in how we care for and serve people with disabilities. In George Santayana’s famous words, “Those who cannot remember the past, are doomed to repeat it.”  For this reason, we want to acknowledge and commend the work of PBS Fort Wayne & WindSwell Foundation for creating a documentary tracing Indiana’s shift from the institutionalization of disabled individuals to community-based integration.

The documentary, The Forgotten: A History of The State Developmental Institutions in Fort Wayne was released in 2022 and can be viewed for free on the PBS website & WFYI Indianapolis television station. The documentary begins recounting the start of Indiana’s practice of institutionalization in 1879, with the inception of Indiana’s Asylum for Feeble-Minded Youth which was later renamed Indiana’s School for Feeble-Minded Youth. The film quotes lawmakers using the language of the era: “The purpose of the institution is to support, train and instruct feeble-minded children; the term feeble-minded to include idiotic, epileptic and paralytic children between ages of six and eighteen.”

The terminology used in this era reflects the dehumanizing attitudes that made institutionalization possible. It is language that we now recognize as harmful and wholeheartedly condemn. Its usage stems from a time when disability was widely misunderstood and medical knowledge was limited. As a result, thousands of these individuals were institutionalized where they were often abused and neglected.

The documentary beautifully and respectfully captures the hardships endured by those subject to Indiana’s outdated institutional practices. From abandoned babies to eugenic sterilization, the film highlights horrible conditions individuals faced living in these institutions. Many individuals recount being wrongfully placed in overcrowded facilities alongside those with more significant support needs, where sterilization was coerced as a condition of residency or release. It wasn’t until the 1960s, did Indiana begin to shift away from traditional institutionalization towards community-based integration. Indiana began separating individuals by need, transitioning those requiring medical care into nursing homes while directing others towards training facilities designed to build independent living skills. 

Today, Indiana has transformed its outdated practices to ones that prioritize the wellbeing of people with disabilities and encourage independent living and community integration. With the support of disability advocates and advancements in both scientific research and public awareness, Indiana has now established programs that address the individual needs of the disabled community, while openly reckoning with a history shaped by the limitations of its time.

Documenting our history and learning from the mistakes of the past helps us to continue evolving and advancing in the field of disability services. Despite dealing with fragmented policies and programs that often lack continuity, Indiana has come a long way from its restrictive past. We highlight the work of this documentary because it not only brings to life Indiana’s long-preserved history and personal stories, but also raises awareness to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated. When public awareness and documentation are lacking, policies and programs are free to shift, oftentimes in the ways that do not serve the best interest of those it directly affects. It is for this reason that we proudly highlight the work of PBS Fort Wayne & Windswell Foundation, whose documentary serves as both a vital historical record and a powerful reminder that public awareness remains essential to protecting the progress Indiana has fought hard to achieve.